Best step up from an XR4155H, without a bunch of electronic crapola?

[RenoHuskerDu]

My XR4155H is a very good tractor but I need more grunt and cab space. I just tested an MT5 but it has way too many electronic gadgets. I don't want buttons for diff, 4wd, or an electronic throttle. It has all that and more. To me it's all just more fancy crap to go north and require downtime for warranty repair. The MT5 also has no backhoe available, which rules it out for me. I use mine a lot on the XR.

I'd like a bigger LS that's as simple as my XR (now renamed MT3). Powershift is fine. The dealer suggests I consider an MT4 68hp. Anybody have one and have something to say about it?

All I need is room for a tall guy and reliability. I disc, cast, drag tires, backhoe, load a dump trailer, patch gravel driveways, drill tree holes with an FEL auger, and other general ranch work like moving parts pickups around. My XR can't load into my tandem dump truck, too high, so the MT4 might be a plus there.

 

[Cycledude]

If you actually want a NEW tractor you might as well accept the fact that more and more electronics is going to be a continuing thing on ALL new tractors in the USA, but then again maybe your secret location is some other country ?

 

[RenoHuskerDu]

I have a new tractor. 2 years old. It has almost no electronics. The LS tractor in your sig is the same. Funny, I also have an 8n. Where did you find the 6610?

Maybe I could find one of those too.

 

[Cycledude]

The 6610 was originally bought new by my dad, I believe there was something wrong with the original engine right from new, at about 2,000 hours the crankshaft broke while cutting hay, Ford gave a discount on a new replacement engine built by Caterpillar , the tractor has about 7,000 now and runs perfectly.
Plenty of electronics on LS XR4155 but so far it hasn’t caused me any problems other than causing me to look at the owners manual once in a while.
The 8n I sometimes think about selling but I still seem to use it quite often.

 

[RenoHuskerDu]

Well go take a gander at the MT5 and you'll see almost no manual controls. Even the park brake is assisted.

Did the Ford come with a Caterpillar originally?

 

[Cycledude]

Supposedly the original engine was built by Ford but they later had engines built by Caterpillar

 

[Bobrown14]

My 2021 MT352 has all manual controls. There's electronics and the dash lights up like Christmas but after that is all mechanical. So much so I sometimes think I need a 3rd arm with the shuttle shift.

About the only thing electronic is the power shift where I dont have to push the clutch and can shift on the fly which is SUPER handy.